


three hundred and sixty five

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Anniversary, Established Relationship, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 23:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10627560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: robert reflects on the past three hundred and sixty five days he’s spent loving aaron as they wait for their connecting flight to mauritus.





	

**Author's Note:**

> slightly canon divergent in the sense that i ignored the whole rebecca situation while writing this, but you could read it within the context of that sl. i'm just not, mostly for my own sanity (lol)

Robert watched as the time on his watch ticked over to midnight, the date clicking over to the 14th.

The 14th of April.

Their _first_ real anniversary.

It was funny, it was a momentous moment for him, but the rest of the world seemed to go on as normal, the hustle and bustle of Dubai airport making him feel as though it was the middle of the day, rather than the middle of the night.

A whole year.

Robert couldn’t believe it, sometimes, that they’d actually made it a year. There was a time when Robert didn’t think Aaron would ever look at him twice again, let alone love him, be with him, make a life with him.

He wasn’t sure what he’d done in a past life to deserve someone like Aaron, but Robert was grateful for the love the younger man gave him, gave him so freely these days.

The love they shared was so easy, sometimes. Life wasn’t easy, life for them was never going to be easy, but the love they shared, that was easy. It was harder, to be without him, to not have Aaron by his side everyday, to be able to love him like it was all Robert was put on this earth to do.

He looked at Aaron, and Robert couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he watched his husband. They had a six hour layover in Dubai, and Aaron was sprawled across the floor, watching something on Robert’s iPad, his jacket tucked under his head as a pillow.

He looked relaxed. For the first time all week, Aaron looked _properly_ relaxed, looking forward to the time away from Emmerdale. Robert wasn’t under any illusions, it wasn’t going to be the easiest two weeks of their life - Sandra was still in a bad way, and Liv would be finding it tough, but it was still two weeks away from Emmerdale, two weeks they could spend together.

Robert loved him.

Robert loved Aaron more than he ever thought it was possible to love someone else, more than he loved Aaron a year ago, and somehow, he knew he loved Aaron slightly less today than he would tomorrow.

Because thats what the past year had been for Robert, learning to love Aaron more and more every single day they were together.

**365 days.**

It sounded like a lot, when it was brought it down to numbers, but in all honesty, it had been the fastest year of Robert’s life. _Sometimes_ , he felt like he’d kissed Aaron in that kitchen only yesterday morning, instead of an entire year ago, and _all the time_ , he wondered how he ever lived without Aaron by his side.

God, that first kiss.

Robert could remember every detail, every hitch of Aaron’s breath, the way kissing him had felt like coming home, after so many months away from him. Robert could practically feel how Aaron burrowed his chin into Robert’s shoulder, clinging to him like he was a lifeline.

Robert could remember the way his heart had started to race, pure, unadulterated happiness spreading through his body as he realised he was getting a second chance, a chance to do things right, to love Aaron the way he deserved, not behind closed doors, but out in the open, in the main street, in the pub, love him for real, _forever_.

That first kiss had been a new beginning. It had felt how those delicious first kisses always did, when you finally got the chance to kiss the person you’d been pining after for so long.

  
It was the kind of kiss Robert imagined their first kiss would have been like, in another universe where he hadn’t been so afraid to accept his sexuality, in a universe where he didn’t lust after the money and the power that Chrissie could give him, in a universe where he had met Aaron first.

Still, it had been a perfect second first kiss, and for all their problems, for all their troubles, Robert would never give up the universe he was building with Aaron for anything, not for millions of pounds, not for a second chance at Home Farm, not for _anything_.

“What’s got you so thoughtful?” Aaron inquired, sitting up. His hair was askew, dark curls standing out at odd angles as he untangled himself from his headphones, stifling a yawn.

“It’s our first anniversary,” Robert said softly, wonder evident in his voice.

Aaron looked at his phone, a smile spreading across his face as he recognised the date.

14th of April.

It was a day that would be imprinted on both of their minds forever, the day they finally got their chance at happiness.

“A whole year,” Aaron murmured, getting to his feet and settling into the seat next to Robert, stretching out his stiff limbs. He was itching to get on their next flight, and Robert couldn’t blame him - they’d left Emmerdale so early that day, and they were still only halfway there.

“Can you believe it?” Robert nudged, watching as Aaron’s tired face lit up.

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real,” Aaron admitted, a pink flush rising in his cheeks. “I think I’m going to wake up and we’ll still be having an affair sometimes.”

“Really?”

Aaron nodded. “But then I look at you, at what we have - and I know I couldn’t be dreaming, because what we’ve got is so much better than anything I could ever  have imagined we’d have,” he said quietly, reaching for Robert’s hand.

Robert loved that they did that now, held hands. It was a recent sort of development in their relationship, and it was something Robert never knew he wanted, but as Aaron tangled their fingers together, his palm warm against Robert’s, he loved it.

Loved that Aaron was comfortable enough, secure enough in their relationship to be so free and honest about his affection, his love for Robert.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” Robert nudged, giving Aaron’s hand a tight squeeze. He felt tears well in his eyes, and he blinked them back furiously, overwhelmed with emotion as he looked at Aaron, his husband, the one person he loved more than anyone else in the universe. “Thank you, for giving me a second chance.”

Aaron blinked at him, clearly surprised by the emotion in Robert’s voice. “It worked out for us, didn’t it?”

Robert nodded, his chest still tightly constricted with tears. “I’m not an easy person to love, I know that much. You could have anyone you want, someone _better,_ but you still chose me. I don’t really get why, but I’m grateful, you know? I’m grateful because you’ve made me happier than I ever thought I could be this past year.”

Aaron looked at him, wide-eyed. “I wouldn’t want anyone but you, Robert.”

Robert swallowed thickly. Hearing things like that from Aaron, they never failed to overwhelm him completely. Having someone love him like Aaron did, so absolutely unconditionally, it was new, and it was precious, and he’d never deserve it.

“Happy first anniversary.” Robert managed to say, knowing he would never have the words to sum up the past 365 days, explain to Aaron what each, and every single one of them had meant.

Aaron smiled at him, leaning against Robert’s shoulder as they settled into wait out the last hour of their layover. “Happy first anniversary, Robert.”

 

 

fin.

**Author's Note:**

> i couldn't let their anniversary pass without writing something, at least. hope you enjoyed!


End file.
